U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that President Donald Trump’s waiver of sweeping sanctions and tariffs on Russia would be a 60-day pause to “analyze” their impact on the global economy.
“The president wants to take the 60-day period of time to sort of analyze what imposing both sanctions and tariffs will mean to the global economy and even to the U.S. economy,” Rubio said, noting that the economic restrictions involved a number of countries, not just Russia.
The sanctions targeting Russia are part of U.S. efforts to pressure Moscow over its war in Ukraine and to limit energy revenues that contribute to financing the Russian war effort.
In September, the U.S. Congress passed legislation authorizing sanctions against Russian officials and financial institutions, as well as tariffs on imports from countries that purchase large quantities of Russian oil and gas, including India and China.
Trump’s decision to suspend these measures just before they were to take effect came at a time when markets are facing pressure on energy supplies and rising prices, fueled by the war with Iran and global supply disruptions.
Rubio explained that the 60-day grace period aims to assess the potential economic repercussions of the sanctions and tariffs on the United States and the global economy, particularly for countries dependent on Russian oil.
The decision drew criticism from US lawmakers, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that easing economic pressure could encourage Moscow to continue the war. (AFP+EIR)
